


Another Year Around The Sun

by ofwrittenlegacy



Series: Web-Head & His Old Tin Can: Copious Fluff (Fix-it Fics) [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Happy Birthday Tony Stark, Irondad, May is a gem, Peter Parker is a Good Son, She is so sweet, This is so soft, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 05:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18866863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofwrittenlegacy/pseuds/ofwrittenlegacy
Summary: Tony gets a birthday present that he wasn't expecting.





	Another Year Around The Sun

**Author's Note:**

> i saw this on tumblr and I just...I just had to do it to 'em.

_Another year around the sun_ , he thought, _and another day closer to dentures._

Tony stalled as he padded towards the common room in the penthouse.

“Oh my God, I’m old.” Tony muttered to himself, shaking his head. It was his birthday. May 29th, his 45th birthday. He could feel it in his bones, in each crackle and pop wished him another happy birthday. Tony sighed around the lip of his mug, taking a sip of his Americano. He collapsed on the couch, preparing to spend his birthday in well deserved silence. Steve was upstate with Barnes and Sam, Pepper was in meetings all day, Romanov and Barton fucked off to Bolivia earlier that week. Thor was in one of the nine realms and he...he actually couldn’t account for his Spider-baby.

 Just as he lifted his phone to check in on the kid, a noise caught his attention. Faintly…

  _Tap! Tap! Tap!_

 Tony looked up. Hanging off the side of Stark Tower, the sixth level window to the penthouse hung Peter Parker, clad in a red and blue onesie Spiderman costume. Tony snorted, setting down his mug and his phone. He walked over to the window and slid open the threshold.

 Peter webbed himself inside and landed in a crouch. Tony’s joints groaned in sympathy reminding him that he was old. _I’m getting so close to fucking dentures…_

 “Why can’t you use a door like a regular person? There’s ample ways to get in here that don’t require scaling the side of my residence, Underoos.”

 “What’s the fun of having enhanced abilities if I don’t get to use them?” Peter replied, peeling the mask off of his face. His chestnut locks stood wildly askew all over his head as if it had recently been washed and was air drying beneath the mask.

 Tony huffed, amusedly.

 “So,” Peter continued, tugging at the arms of his Spiderman suit. Tony watched as he struggled and yanked and finally stripped down to the jeans and t-shirt he wore beneath the suit. _That...can't possibly be comfortable_ , Tony decided. “It’s your birthday.”

 “Is that a speculation or do you know that for a fact?”

 Peter blinked up at him with caramel eyes, the size of moons. “It’s your birthday, Mr. Stark. I’ve had it on my calendar for like...years.”

Tony’s mouth twitched and the corner of his eyes crinkled as he placed a hand on the small of Peter’s back and ushered him to the couch. “I don’t know if you want me to be endeared or a little scared…”

 “Mr. _Stark_ ,” Peter groaned.

 Tony gesticulated, silencing Peter’s whines. Peter’s forehead creased and Tony snickered.

 “Okay, yeah. It’s my birthday, kid. Why’s that got you hanging off the side of my building at…” Tony checked his watch. “10:27 in the morning.”

 “Because,” Peter exclaimed, and jerked up, spreading his arms wide. “We have to celebrate! I have presents!”

 Tony paled. He would never get used to people dedicating a whole day to celebrate his existence, especially because existing was something he didn’t ask for. His mouth set into a hard line and he made a steeple of his fingers. “Pete,” he started. “You really shouldn’t have.”

 Beaming with a lopsided grin that made Tony feel warm inside, Peter gave him a dismissive wave. “See, I knew you’d say that. So I didn’t. May did.” Peter dug around in his pocket and tugged out an envelope. He thrust it towards Tony who hesitantly took it from his hands.

 “Peter, I can’t-”

 Peter blew out his cheeks. “Mr. Stark,” he sounded exasperated. “Just open it.”

 “Alright, alright.” Damn, the kid looked like he was about to go into a temper tantrum if Tony delayed any longer so he tore the corner of the white paper and ripped the side of the envelope off. He slipped out the card.

  ** _HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. STARK!_**

 Was written on the front in big round letters, the marker stroke thick and heavy handed as he had seen Peter do before. Beneath the words was a scribbled doodle of Iron Man wearing a birthday hat and holding a cake that read “Birthday Boy”.

 Tony’s features lit up. “Oh...Pete…”

 “You didn’t even _open_ it, Mr. Stark!”

Tony’s mouth formed a little “oh” and he opened the card. A disk fell out. He bent over, grunting as he picked the CD up.

 “What is this?”

 “I have no clue. May wouldn’t tell me.”

 Tony nodded and walked over to the DVD player and placed the CD inside. Before hitting play, he turned his attention back to the card.

  _I know a little boy who loves Iron Man with his "whole entire heart". I think I love you with my whole entire heart too, Tony._

_Thank you for all you do for Peter, now and even before you knew our names. Keep saving people and inspiring little curly headed boys in capes._

  _Happy 45th,_

  _May Parker._

 Tony grinned down at the yellow construction paper and clutched it tightly. He silently took a seat next to Peter. “FRI, press play.”

* * *

 

_The camera was fuzzy at first. The cameraman was shuffling around what seemed to be a living room._

  _“Pete!” The camera focused and displayed the disastrous room before them. Christmas paper was strewn across the floor, empty boxes piled in the corner. Trash bags were strategically placed around, filled with tape and paper remnants._

  _A little boy scrambled into the camera’s frame and the camera unsteadily zoomed out. The grainy image cleared the young boy stood there in red and gold Iron Man pajamas with a red blanket tied around his neck like a cape. The boy had a round face, his cheeks full and rosy. He was six, maybe seven. He had huge dimples indenting each cheek, and his jewel like eyes took up a large portion of his little face. His crystal clear hazel eyes twinkled with joy, and he squealed. It was apparent only when he smiled really wide that his two front teeth were missing._

* * *

 “FRIDAY, turn this off please.” Peter begged beside Tony, his eyes going wide with recognition. Tony scowled.

“FRIDAY do not touch this.”

 The video played on.

* * *

  _“What’d you get for Christmas, Pete?”_

  _Peter made explosion noises as he flew the doll into the camera. “It’s Iron Man!” He hugged the figurine close. “I’ve wanted one of these for so long! It even makes noise!” Peter pressed the chest of the doll._

  _“I am Iron Man.” The doll said._

* * *

 

Tony cringed.

* * *

  _“Do you love Iron Man?”_

  _“I love Iron Man with my_ whole, entire,  _heart. He is the best superhero ever! He keeps everyone safe, and he can fly and he even lives right here! I want to be like Iron Man when I grow up. I want to save people and fight crime and make e-explosions!” The cameraman chuckled at how awfully Peter butchered “explosions”._

  _“Well, merry Christmas, Pete.”_

  _“Thanks Uncle Ben.” Peter hugged the figurine to his chest. “I love Iron Man. I hope Iron Man has good Christmas presents. He deserves extra presents from Santa. Do you think he was on the nice list this year?”_

  _“I think so,” Uncle Ben agreed._

  _“Good. I love him.” Peter jutted his hand out and made a swooshing sound. “He’s taking off to save the city.” Peter swung his hand wildly, sending his Iron Man up and around in all different directions. “Hey, Uncle Ben…” Peter toddled over to the camera, his little button nose impossibly close to the lense._

  _“Mm?”_

  _“Do you think I can be like Mr. Tony Stark one day?”_

  _“You can be whatever you want to be, Peter.”_

_It grew quiet, until,_

  _“Peter! Ben! Dinner’s ready!” May. The camera grew shaky and the last thing that was seen was Peter sprinting off, his red cape billowing behind him._

* * *

 Then the video cut out.

 There was silence for a while. Tony and Peter sat there and breathed it in. When Tony turned to the younger male, Peter was frozen where he sat. A blush had crept up his face so aggressively, Tony pondered if he was blushing down to his toes. Boy Wonder swallowed hard and Tony grew concerned he might pass out.

 “Iron Man doesn’t wear a cape.”

 Peter blinked as if coming out of a daze. “I want to curl up and die.”

 Awe continued to transform Tony’s face, a joy he had never experienced before burning bright within him. “Hey Pete,” he called. The boy turned to regard him with a grimace. “You are much better than Iron Man. Little Peter would be proud of you.”

 Tony didn’t think he could get much redder but somehow he did. Peter hung his hand. “T-Thanks, Mr. Stark. I didn’t know May put that in there. I-- She-- It’s not--...that’s _so_ embarrassing.”

 Tony wordlessly tugged the boy into a hug. He didn’t trust himself to speak as his throat seized up with emotion. His eyes burned with fresh tears and he didn’t let Peter go until he got ahold of the wild fluctuation of feelings.

 “You don’t know how much that video means to me, Pete.” Tony finally said, pulling away.

 Peter turned his innocent gaze on him and Tony thought he might just combust. He still looked like that little boy. More lanky, and a little more freckled but his eyes still glinted with purity. He was just a kid. He was just Tony’s kid.

 “Yeah?”

 “Yeah.” Tony ruffled his hair. Peter laughed.

 “Happy birthday, Mr. Stark.”

 “Thanks kiddo.”

And it was on Tony’s 45th birthday that he realized maybe Iron Man did make a difference. Maybe...just maybe he was making a difference.


End file.
